Diapers, Needles, and Cans. Oh My!

Q&A with Masaya Maeda about the Nash Run Trash Trap

By Mattie Lehman, AWS Public Policy and Advocacy Intern

Each year lotus and lily blooms at the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens (KAG) in Northeastern DC attract large numbers of nature lovers and photographers to view the flowers, wildlife, and unique aquatic plants that make up the marsh area. Thanks to the efforts of the Anacostia Watershed Society, one view visitors do not see is the trash that once plagued the Gardens.

Upstream, the Nash Run Trash Trap operated by AWS stops and collects litter which previously would have made its way towards KAG and ended up in the Anacostia River. The Trap began as a joint project of AWS and the District of Columbia Department of Energy and Environment in February 2009. Since that time, AWS has continued to maintain the trap and installed an updated version in 2011 designed by Masaya Maeda, AWS Water Quality Specialist.

Support Proposed Ruling to Strengthen Clean Water Act!

Anacostia River.

Yesterday marked the official start of a 90-day public comment period for a proposed rule on the Clean Water Act (CWA) published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps). This proposal more clearly defines which waters are protected under the CWA closing some loopholes in the law for wetlands and streams. For the Anacostia River watershed, this could mean that there would be no doubt that the wetlands and seasonal streams that support the river are protected under the law ensuring smart land use and development near those areas.

Indian Creek Experiences Flood & Sediment Event From Water Main Blowout

By: Mary Abe, Manager of Stewardship

On Saturday morning July 20th, Neil Gehrels, AWS member and donor, noted that at the confluence of Indian Creek and Paint Branch at Lake Artemesia, Indian Creek was at its flood stage as well as butterscotch in color-indicative of sediment runoff. Paint Branch was at normal stream stage with no signs extreme sedimentation. No rain events had occurred so Mr. Gehrels contacted AWS to investigate.

The Problem With Fishing For Catfish in the Anacostia River

By: Veronica Pereira, Stewardship intern

You might be asking yourself, “What could be so bad about fishing for catfish in the Anacostia?” The answer is that it’s not the actual act of fishing in the Anacostia that is bad. The problem with fishing for catfish is that if the catfish are consumed, they may cause serious health effects on those who eat them.

Brown bullheads like this one are commonly caught from the Anacostia River by anglers and used for consumption (including people at greater risk such as pregnant women and children). These fish are known to have carcinogens in their bodies making their consumption a potential and worrisome public health issue.

What Is a Swimmable Anacostia River?

Disclaimer: the ideas presented here are the water quality specialist’s personal view and is not AWS’s view on the definition of a swimmable Anacostia River.

Blue Flag and Robert Boone (the founder of AWS)

When I joined the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS) in 2002, I started to be involved in a project called Flagging Project. In the project I took samples every business day from June through October in 2002 and 2003, measured the water for various parameters including Fecal Coliform Bacteria. Since it takes about 24 hours to analyze water for fecal bacteria, I forecasted the fecal bacteria testing results based on accumulated data, rainfall precipitation, conductivity, etc. The forecast was made if the fecal bacteria level will meet a boating standard or not.